Crypto Bigger Than Real Estate: How World Liberty Financial Fueled Trump's $2.2-Billion Wealth Boom

Last Updated:July 01, 2026, 11:00 IST

The US President now occupies the unusual position of being both one of the crypto industry's largest business operators and its most influential policymaker

For decades, Donald Trump’s business empire was synonymous with luxury hotels, golf courses, skyscrapers and licensing deals. But in just over a year, cryptocurrency has eclipsed real estate as the biggest source of revenue for the US president.

Trump’s mandatory 2025 financial disclosure, released this week, shows that his businesses generated at least $2.2 billion in revenue last year, more than three times the roughly $622 million reported in 2024. The single biggest driver behind that surge was not property, but crypto.

According to the disclosure, reported by The New York Times, Trump’s crypto ventures brought in more than $1.4 billion, transforming what was once a small political talking point into the financial backbone of the Trump family business. The filings also come as a remarkable reversal for a president who once dismissed cryptocurrencies as a “scam" and a tool for criminals.

Crypto Is Now Bigger Than Real Estate

Trump’s disclosure shows that crypto has overtaken the businesses that traditionally defined his fortune.

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The NYT report adds that his flagship golf resorts continued to generate substantial revenue, with Trump National Doral bringing in around $122 million and Mar-a-Lago earning about $77 million. International licensing agreements in countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Vietnam, Romania, India, Indonesia and Turkey added tens of millions more.

But those figures pale in comparison to the money flowing from digital assets. The filing attributes roughly $799 million in revenue to World Liberty Financial and another $636 million to sales linked to the $TRUMP memecoin. Together, those businesses generated several times more revenue than Trump’s marquee real estate properties.

What Is World Liberty Financial?

At the centre of Trump’s crypto empire is World Liberty Financial (WLF), a decentralised finance (DeFi) platform launched in 2024 with the backing of the president and his sons: Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Barron Trump.

Unlike cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, WLF primarily revolves around its governance token, $WLFI, which allows holders to participate in certain decisions within the ecosystem, NYT explains. The project has also announced plans around decentralised lending and stablecoin infrastructure, although many of its products remain in development.

According to the financial disclosure, World Liberty sold $WLFI tokens globally during 2025. The structure of those sales was particularly lucrative for the Trump family: after certain expenses were deducted, 75 per cent of proceeds from each token sale flowed to a Trump business entity, meaning revenue was generated regardless of whether the token’s market value later rose or fell. Trump personally received about $500 million from token sales during the year, up sharply from $57 million reported the previous year.

Reuters has previously reported that World Liberty has positioned itself as one of the highest-profile crypto ventures directly linked to a sitting US president, making it unlike any previous presidential business interest.

The UAE Deal That Drew Global Attention

One of the most controversial developments involving World Liberty came shortly before Trump’s inauguration.

The financial disclosure says an investment firm tied to the United Arab Emirates acquired a 49 per cent stake in World Liberty Financial. The transaction reportedly generated more than $200 million for Trump through unnamed investments.

The New York Times reported that the investment was followed by an agreement between the Trump administration and the UAE involving exports of advanced artificial intelligence chips, raising questions among ethics experts about whether business interests and foreign policy had become intertwined. The White House has previously rejected allegations of conflicts of interest, saying Trump acts solely in the public interest.

The $TRUMP Memecoin

The second pillar of Trump’s crypto earnings is the $TRUMP memecoin, launched just days before his inauguration.

Unlike cryptocurrencies designed to solve technological problems, memecoins derive most of their value from internet culture, branding and community enthusiasm. Similar to Dogecoin, they are often highly speculative and prone to sharp price swings.

According to the disclosure, Trump earned more than $600 million from sales of the token. However, after an initial surge, the token’s value fell dramatically and is now trading roughly 80 per cent below its peak levels, highlighting the volatility associated with meme-based cryptocurrencies.

From Crypto Critic To ‘Crypto President’

Trump’s embrace of digital assets marks a dramatic reversal from his earlier stance. During his first presidency and afterwards, Trump repeatedly criticised Bitcoin, calling it a scam and arguing that cryptocurrencies threatened the dominance of the US dollar.

By the 2024 election campaign, however, he had completely changed course, promising to make America the “crypto capital of the planet". He flirted with the crypto industry, pledged a friendlier regulatory environment, accepted campaign donations in digital assets and spoke at major crypto events.

Reuters has reported that the Trump administration has since pursued a markedly more industry-friendly approach than its predecessor, including support for stablecoin legislation and changes in regulatory priorities affecting the crypto sector.

Why Ethics Experts Are Concerned

The financial disclosures have intensified debate over whether a sitting president should simultaneously oversee policies affecting an industry from which he personally earns substantial income.

The New York Times noted that Trump now occupies the unusual position of being both one of the crypto industry’s largest business operators and its most influential policymaker.

Critics argue this creates unprecedented conflict-of-interest concerns, especially when foreign investors are involved in businesses connected to the president. The White House has consistently rejected those allegations. Officials have said Trump is exempt from many federal conflict-of-interest rules that apply to executive branch employees and maintains that all decisions are made in the interests of the American public.

A Business Empire Rewritten

Trump’s disclosure illustrates how dramatically his business model has changed.

For decades, his fortune depended largely on hotels, golf resorts and licensing agreements. Today, digital assets, not physical real estate, have become the primary engine of his business empire.

The filing also shows Trump’s investment portfolio has expanded significantly, with financial assets valued at a minimum of $857 million at the end of 2025, compared with at least $236 million a year earlier. Because disclosure rules report many assets in broad value ranges rather than exact figures, the president’s precise net worth remains difficult to determine.

About the Author

Apoorva Misra

Apoorva Misra is a News Editor at News18.com with a keen interest in politics and current affairs. She loves uncovering fresh angles and telling stories through long-form features and explainers. Foll...Read More

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